This invention concerns a multipurpose ingot mould. To be more exact, the mould of this invention is employed in plants performing the continuous casting of liquid metal and is generally positioned downstream of a tundish and upstream of a discharge roller conveyor.
The mould according to this invention can be combined with other analogous or identical moulds to form a plurality of continuous casting lines.
Continuous casting moulds can be of a vertical, curved or almost horizontal type.
Continuous casting moulds generally consist of a crystallizer made of copper or a copper alloy through which passes the liquid metal arriving from a tundish and which, at start-up, cooperates with a sliding bottom, on which are fitted pinetree-shaped means that become anchored to the cast liquid metal.
The sliding bottom is connected to a starter bar cooperating with a discharge roller conveyor located downstream of the mould so as to draw the ingot being formed.
It is known that the ingots being formed and leaving the mould are further cooled by suitable cooling means consisting normally of sprayers that spray a cooling liquid, normally water, and hit the ingot being formed directly.
Continuous casting moulds comprise systems to measure and check the level of liquid metal in the crystallizers; these measurement systems have the purpose of preventing overflowing or a nee low level of the liquid metal.
An electromagnetic stirrer may be fitted in these moulds to make homogeneous the molten metal in the mould.
In the moulds of the state of the art the cleaning and maintenance work causes a great loss of time and a resulting reduction in the output of the mould.
Moreover, the known moulds form an obstacle to the electromagnetic flow of the stirrer and include unsuitable means to control the level of the metal.
Furthermore, the operations to replace and maintain the moulds and the first segment of the discharge rollers entail technical problems and a great loss of time.
Besides, the replacement of all the moulds in a plurality of continuous casting lines takes place mould by mould with a great loss of time and energy.
Moreover, the re-positioning of the moulds on their relative roller conveyors involves problems of alignment and correct positioning.
Also, the inclusion or not of the electromagnetic stirrer affects the mould itself, which has to be wholly replaced.
To obviate these shortcomings of the state of the art and to achieve further advantages, the present applicant has designed, tested and embodied this invention.